


the lights are on (is anyone home?)

by codedredalert



Series: One Piece daemon AU snapshots [5]
Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Canon-Typical Violence, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, young Bepo, young Law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-04-24 03:08:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19164574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codedredalert/pseuds/codedredalert
Summary: Minks don't have daemons but they talk and act like people. This is unnerving to most, but not Law.He knew first-hand what people without souls looked like.





	the lights are on (is anyone home?)

**Author's Note:**

> Daemons are manifestations of a persons soul, and they take the shape of an animal. The type of animal is indicative of the person's character.  
> Seeing a body without a daemon is like seeing a corpse walking around.

 

"Law, do you think I have a soul?"

Law shifted the straps of his backpack and turned to look at Bepo. The polar bear mink's head was lowered and he glanced shyly at Law's snow leopard daemon as she padded silently beside Law, her monochrome fur blending in with the winter landscape. When Law didn't speak right away, Bepo continued speaking.

"Those two guys called me a monster. They said I didn't have a daemon, so I had to be." Then, quieter, he added, "I don't want to be a monster, Law."

Law could understand that. The memory of Amber Lead Syndrome still haunted him. Having hospitals treat him like a plague rat. Having to temper Cora-san's increasingly forced optimism in the face of Law's imminent death. Having to grapple with all of that on top of choking survivor's guilt and the very real prospect of dying before he even hit puberty.

"Ignore them," said Law quietly. "Of course you have a soul."

Bepo looked up, teary-eyed.

"How can you tell?" he asked.

 

Pirates, slavers, marines, civilians. They were all the same once they were tied down and there was a knife over their daemon's heart. Begging, frightened. Screaming.

 _'The weak don't get to choose their way of death.'_ Doflamingo had made this statement in passing during one of their lessons, a lifetime ago. Law had been unable to refute it.

Law had been tasked with the knife.

When he brought it down, there was screaming, ragged and anguished. It was very different from scared screaming. Law was an expert, after so many. He could tell the difference between fear and pain.

There was a flow to it. Knife in, twist, knife out, step aside. Hold a breath to the count of eight to not choke on the scattering dust.

Then, the screaming would stop and that was somehow always worse.

 

"I've seen what people are like when their daemons die," answered Law simply. 

"Oh." Bepo looked down as they trekked a little further. "What are they like?"

Glassy-eyed, still breathing and heart still beating but empty. Almost all die within the week.

"Just trust me," said Law. "They're not like you."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Law-Bepo friendship good. I love them.
> 
> Forced to post this earlier than usual because Ao3 is gonna delete it otherwise haha. My buffer of ready fics is gone so posting will probably slow down from here.


End file.
